God taught us this way back in Psalm 51 where David, repenting of his sin with Bathsheba said, Against You [God], You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight. God is the first, last, and ultimate object of our sin. What program should be recommended? Also on page 11 it is stated, "Accustomed to a traditional twelve-step program and hesitant to make a switch? The Bible puts those two people in two different categories and addresses them discretely and justly. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012. That CR adapts worldly means and methods is abundantly evident below in the video introduction to CR (found on the CR websites What is Celebrate Recovery? Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? The Celebrate Recovery Bible is a study bible with added stories and devotions. 1 John 4:5, You adulterous people! Being perfected is maturity in Progress sanctified through Christ. The 12 steps allows the lost to develop their own relationship with what may be described as the god of their own understanding in the beginning but for those who migrate over to Celebrate Recovery they do so because they discover that Jesus is the one who saved them. Reformed Theology The father never disowned his fallen son. In answer to your last statement why not tell what you are doing to help, Im telling you the truth as found in the Scriptures. So, on the macro-level, CR has taken a worldly philosophy and attempted to Christianize it slightly in order to appeal to the lost, which, again is typical of the way Saddleback the original seeker driven church tends to operate, and which, as I mentioned earlier, is unbiblical. Proverbs 30:5,6 says, "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Encouragement Below are the biblical criteria I use when deciding whether or not to recommend a teacher, ministry, etc. If God's word in scripture is sufficient and the final authority - then why would the Twelve Steps need to be added to it as CR does? Baker, John, and Richard Warren. Death I go to Cr and agree some scripture is not spot on. As such, CR imposes a meaning other than the authorial intent upon the text. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. [2] Articles. So similar, in fact that each Principle is followed by a notation as to which of the 12 steps it corresponds to. They have NEVER presented the Gospel, only their own convoluted fantasies of how things ought to be in their make believe world. Celebrate Recovery is a substance abuse recovery program based primarily on biblical teachings and the words and loving power of Jesus Christ. Have you actually read all the material? 5:48). Eschatology (End Times) And that is what makes RW and all his co-hearts the consummate Pharisees of our day, hypocrites, pretenders, and frauds. June 2015 Join more than 7 million hurting people across the globe who now walk in freedom through the power of Jesus Christ as we walk through the 8 principles of celebrate recovery based on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. The Good News of Celebrate Recovery? Many saved people have been forgiven by Jesus but never learned to free themselves of their past. Celebrate Recovery (CR) was created by John Baker, a member of false teacher Rick Warrens Saddleback Church. SHOP FOR RESOURCES AND GEAR. Having said that, this review (completed largelywith the help of Matthew Mumma) will demonstrate that CR contains two major problems: (1) Though claiming to be biblically based, its teachings are often constructed from a misuse of Scripture and an erroneous hermeneutic. Continue reading, 12-step program, Addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery, Context, Eisegesis, Eric Davis, Exegesis, Healing, Hermeneutics, John Baker, Matthew 5:3-12, Recovery, Rick Warren, Sin. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind. Why do so many need a step based recovery program? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Angels, Demons, Spiritual Warfare This post reminded me of that ministry. Celebrate recovery is a biblically balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts. These actions will fuel the isolation and cause the lost to runaway from religion. The origins of AA points to the Oxford Group which is a Christian study group. [9][10] They may not use resources outside of the Bible and authorized Celebrate Recovery curriculum materials. No one can judge who is saved and who isnt because the person has fallen in life or the person is attending a program that others interpret as not biblical. But the ideas in the 8 Principles are very similar to the ideas in the secular 12 steps. Celebrate Recovery is a beautiful community of strugglers that courageously enter this safe and beautiful space to get honest about our pain, and the negative ways we may see ourselves, God and others. September 2016 A male teacher or pastor cannot allow women to carry out this violation of Scripture in his ministry. 5:3) is not a recovery principle, teaching that Im not Godpowerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable (9). Grace Secrets grow in the dark and die by the light. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Baker, John. Free-will Locators. Declan Pierce, a DJ who hosts Block Rockin' Beats on Dublin-based station Today FM, thanked staff who helped him after a brain haemorrhage. Celebrate Recovery (CR) was created by John Baker, a member of false teacher Rick Warren's Saddleback "Church". Also, look who comes first here in this line of confession not God, but self. Change). Sin The issue here is that the unbeliever is not indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist and flee from sin. For this reason, Jesus brings clarity to the scene with these corrections. But what about the micro-level of the individual Principles? Rick Warren writes, " [D]uring the ten-week series that I preached to kick . Hello. CRs 12 Steps are almost identical to the secular 12 steps. Print. August 2017 2.5 principles. Sober Recovery Expert Author. Print. Holy Spirit Commentary, stories, and side notes have been added. To attach 12 Bible verses taken out of context to a secular program is simply erroneous hermeneutics. The question is not, Does Celebrate Recovery work?. I know , I was the saved son that fell into darkness and through other Christians and prayer I found my way back to Jesus. I believe these facts are important to disclose when you are making claims against something. [6][7] Leaders seek to normalize substance abuse as similar to other personal problems common to all people. You state that, "Its obvious why the 12 steps are included, because the world is familiar with them." Lanagan has done a massive amount of research on A.A., and what his research has turned up is that A.A. co-founders Bill Wilson andDr. Bob Smith were deeply involved in the occult aka spiritualism. Alcoholism No one has the ability, nor should they attempt to face their hurts on their own. As above, I will be going through steps 1-3, and 12, and directly quoted from CR website: 1 ) We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable. Hi Susan, To exclude this is only done if we take it out of scripture and then live without being perfected as seen by God. WALLACE, N.C. , Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Focused Addiction Recovery (FAR), a behavioral health treatment center in Wallace, North Carolina, has officially opened its doors and is now . John Baker and Rick Warren of Saddleback Church created the program in 1991 to help people with various addictions. Gospel (The most noticeable difference is that the phrase God, as we understand Him has been changed to simply, God.). (LogOut/ Born Again And am a big believer in Cr and the fellowship that broke the chains that shackled me for so long. Baker, John, and Richard Warren. Celebrate Recovery. A local Celebrate Recovery ministry should follow the policies of their local church and continue to be grateful for their continued support. b) The pastor, teacher, ministry, or trend cannot currently and unrepentantly be partnering with, yoked to, or frequently appearing with false teachers. There is no way that the Twelve Steps were "based upon the scriptures" or that their "basis is God's word" as he claims. People really need to get back to believing in the transforming power of Christ through true repentance and faith. Dec 27 2016. Also, the eight principles of the CR program are void of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The scriptures have not been changed. Psychology Sunday. Designed for those with "hurts, habits and hang-ups," as its slogan says, CR offers biblically-based encouragement and hope for change. If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Covenant Truth CR Tools. If you speak out bibically against this type of nonsense, you are labeled pharisee, or judgmental. Principle R1, the first half of V, and E2 arent bad. Luke 12:43-45. Celebrate Recovery's 12-steps, are AA's 12-steps, but with a "biblical comparison" to each one. Because Celebrate Recovery is based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and practiced in thousands of Christian churches without ever being questioned or held up to the light of scripture it is one of the most damaging forms of apostasy in the modern Christian church. As a defender of AA and CR who claims to be Christian, you have to ask yourself - how could you ever claim the authority and sufficiency of scripture as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches without being a hypocrite? House, 1998. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Because Celebrate Recovery is mix of heretical worldly teachings with scripture it is on the broad worldly way. Alcoholics Anonymous promotes idolatry through urging its adherents to believe in a God of their own understanding - which can be pretty much anything or anyone. Spiritualism April 2020 Scripture Go preach the gospel - not go introduce the addicted to a Twelve Step program and then if all goes well try to get the gospel message in somewhere. If the Gospel of Christ is left out of any program you can be assured that program DID NOT originate with God, nor will it be blessed by Him. Actions (And God doesnt use people to bring heresy to others except as a judgment against them.) God have mercy on America, a nation seeped in false religiosity where everybody is a Christian because they say they are! Thats not the same thing as a mistake or hurting/being hurt by others or hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Popularity does not equal correct doctrine. 11. Trinity Celebrate Recovery leads us through the 12 Steps and the 8 Recovery Principles that guide us along the biblical path of opening ourselves up to and trusting in God's grace, through Jesus Christ, for bringing change and healing in our lives, so that we can know a substantial measure of peace & joy and as it says in the Serenity Prayer to be "reasonably happy" in this life. Christian Recovery Programs Christians should have faith in the power of the gospel through God's word in scripture and should never rely on anything other than the gospel to reach those lost in the sin of addiction (which by the way you label as disease which is contrary to scripture - Galatians 5:19-21 clearly defines alcoholism and addiction as sin, not disease). Im relying on my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God, Holy Spirit and the Bible. One such effort is a packaged addictions program called Celebrate Recovery (CR). House, 1998. parts 1 and 2 which discuss the apostasy of the Oxford Group as well as the true beliefs and teachings of those who started AA. Baker, Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide, 12). [17], How Celebrate Recovery Helped Evangelicals Open Up About Addiction, Offering Ministry, and Early Release, to Prisoners, U.S. trademark record for "Celebrate Recovery", "5 Guidelines for Celebrate Recovery Small Groups", "Celebrate Recovery: Five Small Group Guidelines", "Broadening the base of addiction mutual-help organizations", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Celebrate_Recovery&oldid=1131190093. The step programs are not about earning any kind of grace or favor (works) in Gods eyes. Strength Jehovahs Witnesses If you have never attended a Celebrate Recovery group before, you might be wondering, How do I know Celebrate Recovery even works? Why even invest time and commitment into something that might not be effective? No mention is made of personal repentance of sin or placing ones faith in Christ as the Bible defines it anywhere in this video. Life Nowhere does Scripture suggest that we need to heal and recover from sin. The organization was founded in 1991 by John Baker, a former alcoholic staff member of Saddleback Church with the support of Pastor Rick Warren. Alcoholics Anonymous Jeni defines this term at the 5:30 mark as growing up in a dysfunctional family that caused hurt in your lifewhich I think we pretty much all have. That definition doesnt do much to clear things up). Bill Wilson simply switched from booze to cigarettes, and died from emphysema. September 2017 The Pharisees, who largely set the religious/spiritual tone of the day, would have propagated the photo-negative of the Beatitudes, and, thus, an incorrect understanding of the believer. Rick Warren writes that CR was born when I began an intense study of the Scriptures to discover what God had to say about recovery. To my amazement, I found the principles of recoveryin their logical ordergiven by Christ in His most famous message, the Sermon on the Mount (12). 6:6 and Col. 1:13). 6;14, but RW and company would rather make merchandise of the masses and have them play the victim card and be FOREVER subservient to their programs and dictates*****************no thank you. More specifically, CR teaches that the Beatitudes (Matt. They'll say, "I don't know anybody that doesn't need recovery" where I often chimed in, "I don't know anyone who doesn't need Jesus." Since our fall at the dawn of time, we have been naturally enslavement to every destructive behavior possible. March 2017 Celebrate Recovery is just the AA program which Rick Warren added some Bible verses to so it could be marketed and sold as a "Christian Recovery" program. Charles Spurgeon Proper Perspective February 2015 Anything thats not biblical in the CR program should be pointed out and discussed but to claim you know who Jesus has not saved is very dangerous. These kind of statements turn away so many non believers. Celebrate Recovery is not the gospel, nor a substitute for the gospel, for drunkards or drug addicts or anyone else. Homosexual Agenda Sobriety Then you are able to test it. Come join us in the home of Celebrate Recovery, and let's make this event a one-of-a-kind experience that you will never forget. Thats unbiblical. They may experience sobriety, but they will remain in bondage if they do not learn their identity in Christ and experience the power of Grace to overcome habitual sins. Therefore, Celebrate Recovery will not attempt to dictate any doctrine or policy to a local church. Learn how your comment data is processed. Therapeutic Humanism Website. in the 80s and 90s, I worked as a correspondence counselor for an ex-gay ministry. I left God but he never left me. There are over 35,000 churches currently with a Celebrate Recovery ministry. Baker, John. Salvation Spiritual Warfare Principle Y takes us back into false gospel territory: Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others,both by my example and my words. Breaking the theological bricks and unlearning lies, Report: Former Hillsong pastors say they were threatened by Brian Houston, The Progressive Disease of Spiritual Deception in Our Time. Further, the purpose of this review is not to question whether the 2.5 million participants have felt that they were assisted with enslaving behaviors, nor to doubt the sincerity of individuals seeking to help, but, instead, to examine CRs claim to be biblically based. Again, this is unbiblical. During the past 25 years, some 20,000 churches in the United States have reportedly used CR, with some 2.5 million people having completed the program. As I said above, the first half isnt bad. I cringed whenever Id hear someone say, Im (insert name), and Im a grateful follower of Jesus Christ! Those who are saved know these things from day one of their regeneration. July 2015 Thank you for this. Judging and Examining Ourselves [podcast] February 1, 2023. The husband needs to heal and recover from his addiction and whatever hurts led him to hurt someone else. Stop wasting time and money on man made programs that cannot free sinners from their bondages. Mormonism Celebrate Recovery Summit 2023 For the first time in years, we will be hosting the Celebrate Recovery 2023 Summit at Saddleback Church, CA. And we should learn and be taught how to forgive ourselves. Ive been six months dry today. they will send out emails to all the members to not have anything to do with you because you are not attending cr. Friday. You gave such a positive outlook on CR, almost as if there are few if any failures. Notice the number of times he says We believe instead of the Bible says or simply stating the terms of the gospel as irrefutable fact. Group facilitators must be trained and agree to a list of expectations,[9] including standardized guidelines[18][19] at each meeting.